Army Commendation Medal — Military Decorations

Army Commendation Medal Medal and Ribbon Design Images

The Army Commendation Medal comes with a unique service ribbon, which is worn on the recipient's uniform in situations where the full medal is not worn. If you have earned this decoration, you can wear the service ribbon on your ribbon rack.
Design of the Army Commendation Medal

The Army Commendation Medal is a bronze hexagon medallion. On the obverse is an American bald eagle with wings spread horizontally, grasping three crossed arrows. On the eagle’s breast is a shield paly of thirteen pieces and a chief. The reverse bears a panel for naming between the words “FOR MILITARY” above and “MERIT” below, all placed above a laurel sprig.

What is the Army Commendation Medal Decoration?

The ribbon is primarily of myrtle green. The green is flanked by in white and in the center are five thin white stripes spaced equally apart.

The United States military sorts decorations into categories called Classes and Types. The Army Commendation Medal medal is classified as a Personal Decoration of the type Commendation Medal.

How Do You Earn the Army Commendation Medal?

The Army Commendation Medal is awarded to servicemen and women, except general officers, who, while serving alongside the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor distinguished themselves by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service.

The Army Commendation Medal is awarded to American and foreign military personnel in the grade of O-6 (Colonel in the U.S. Army) and below. Qualifying service for the award of the medal can be for distinctive meritorious achievement and service, acts of courage involving no voluntary risk of life, or sustained meritorious performance of duty. Approval of the award must be made by an officer in the grade of Colonel (O-6) or higher.

Displaying the Army Commendation Medal

The Order of Precedence of the Army Commendation Medal is 27, and this precedence is used when placing the associated service ribbon on your uniform ribbon rack. You can see a full list of decorations in the order of precedence on the Decorations homepage.

Subsequent awards are denoted by the use of an oak leaf cluster and a “V” for valorous actions in direct contact with the enemy.

The Army Commendation Medal is placed after the Joint Service Commendation Medal and before the Commendation Medals of other branches or the Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Army Commendation Medal Associated Branches

Army

army

Army Commendation Medal Associated Branches

Army

army

Army Commendation Medal and the Stolen Valor Act

The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 is a federal law that makes it illegal for any person to falsely claim to be the recipient of certain military awards, "with the intention of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefit by convincing another that he or she received the award".This decoration is covered by the Stolen Valor act. Fraudulently claiming to have received a Army Commendation Medal can result in punishment including a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both


Back to top